World Cup latest – auctions score with 1966 shirts

A reminder of England's 1966 glory came up as part of a
collection relating to World Cup-winning full-back George Cohen,
consigned by the man himself to
Graham Budd's (17.5% buyer's premium) latest sporting
memorabilia sale.

The 27 lots included his white No.2 jersey worn in the
semi-final against Portugal at Wembley on July 26, 1966. Cohen had
swapped it with his opponent Antonio Simoes but the Portugese
winger later returned it to him at a charity event in 1999 having
signed and inscribed the jersey: 'To G. Cohen, with my best
regards, Fev 08 99'.

Born in Kensington in 1939, Cohen - who spent his entire club
career at Fulham - was in competition with Jimmy Armfield for the
full-back position for the 1966 World Cup but had become Alf
Ramsey's first choice by the time the tournament started. Cohen
played in every game of the winning campaign. His nephew Ben Cohen
later achieved a remarkable family double by winning the Rugby
World Cup in 2003.

The semi-final shirt eventually sold for a low-estimate £3000.
This was some way behind the £32,000 seen for Cohen's red World Cup
Final jersey that sold at Christie's South Kensington in June 2006
and also the reported £80,000 paid by Fulham for his 1966 winners'
medal in 1998.

The Cohen collection offered at Graham Budd on May 22-23 was
just one of the stand-out items among the many football-related
lots being offered in a series of special auctions inevitably being
timed to coincide with the current tournament now underway in
Brazil, as well as others in recent mixed offerings which have
tempted consignors.

Other England shirts sold in the same sale included Geoff
Hurst's white England No.10 1970 World Cup jersey worn in the match
v Romania at the Estadio Jalisco on June 2, England's opening match
at Mexico in defence of their World Cup title. England won the game
1-0 through a goal by Hurst in the 65th minute. This shirt sold for
£5500 (est: £3000-5000).

Fontaine Strikes Again

A high-flier shirt came in the form of Just Fontaine's blue
France No 17 jersey, worn during the 1958 World Cup, which sold for
five times the low estimate to strike £25,000.

Its desirability was simple: Fontaine set a record that stands
to this day for the most goals scored during a single World Cup
finals tournament: 13 in six matches. France bowed out in a
semi-final against Brazil before he thumped in four against Germany
in the third-place play-off.

"The Fontaine shirt hammered for £4500 at Bonhams in 2002 so
that's a stunning increase," said Mr Budd.

Lots 337 to 455 at Graham Budd focused on World Cup memorabilia,
and while a match ball used in the 1962 World Cup in Chile sold for
£10,200 (est: £5000-7000), and a 1974 World Cup gold winner's medal
- recipient unknown, however - took a low-estimate £10,000, plenty
of more affordable items showed how accessible the market is at all
levels. For example, nine World Cup pin badges, comprising 1954,
two for 1958, 1970, 1974 and four for 2006, sold for £75, and a
large official 1966 World Cup stadium flag made £150.

The shirts and the 1974 medal all went overseas, to different
buyers.

Shepherdson Medal

A 1966 World Cup winner's medal came up in the sale at
Mullock's (17% buyer's premium) of Shropshire on June 4-5. And
while the likes of Nobby Stiles' winner's medal netted £160,000 in
2010, this particular example went for a low-estimate £12,000. It
does have a rather different history, however.

It was, in fact, awarded posthumously to Harold Shepherdson,
reputedly the longest-serving England trainer and physio, holding
that role from 1957-74. It is one of the medals issued in 2009 to
the remaining England squad after only the starting 11 received
medals during the competition.

They were presented to the players and Mrs Shepherdson by the
Prime Minister at 10 Downing Street in a ceremony organised by the
FA on June 10 that year. The medal party headed straight to Wembley
Stadium on the England team bus for their match against Andorra,
and the medal was offered with a match programme from that game
signed by the remaining squad members in 2009 including 1966 cup
final goalscorer Hurst.

Beckenbauer Shirt

One upcoming item is Franz Beckenbauer's 1966 semi-final shirt
which will be offered at Derbyshire saleroom
Hansons in their World Cup sale on June 30, estimated at
£4000-£6000.

Beckenbauer's shirt has come to auction after being discovered
in a house in the local area - the 1966 West Germany squad stayed
at The Peveril of the Peak hotel in Ashbourne, Derbyshire. While
most teams preferred to stay in cities, the German team arrived in
the small market town on July 14.

He handed his match shirt to policeman Sergeant Walter Turner on
July 28, 1966. As Ashbourne became a hunting ground for football
fans seeking autographs, Sgt Turner was instructed to stand guard
to stop them entering the hotel.

He said at the time: "It was an honour mixing with such great
sportsmen and the German players would call me Mr Bobby. The German
team simply wanted some peace and quiet in the quaint Derbyshire
town of Ashbourne."

He was rewarded when the team left for London before the final.
A squad member had tried to press some money into his hand, said
Sgt Turner, "but I refused and asked instead for his shirt. The
team had just returned from a victorious meeting with the Russians,
and I was handed a white shirt still warm and damp with sweat - it
was Number 4, Beckenbauer's".

Beckenbauer had actually scored in the game against the Soviet
Union (Russia), on July 25 at Everton's ground, Goodison Park, in a
2-1 win.

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